Giants land Robbie Ray in trade that sends Mitch Haniger, Anthony DeSclafani to Mariners
The Seattle Mariners have agreed to trade former Cy Young winner Robbie Ray to the San Francisco Giants in exchange for outfielder Mitch Haniger and right-hander Anthony DeSclafani, ESPN's Jeff Passan reported Friday.
The Giants didn't take long to confirm the news:
DONE DEAL: Robbie Ray is a San Francisco Giant 📰 pic.twitter.com/nxdOaQhAEo
— SFGiants (@SFGiants) January 5, 2024
Ray is still working his way back from Tommy John surgery he underwent in May 2023. The left-hander is not expected to return until after the All-Star break. Once he is cleared for a return to action, he could offer a helping hand to the front line of San Francisco's rotation.
The 32-year-old has $73 million remaining on his contract over the next three seasons, but he is eligible to opt out after 2024. He won the AL Cy Young Award with the Toronto Blue Jays in 2021 and recorded a 3.71 ERA over 189 innings the following campaign, his first season in Seattle.
The deal is interesting for the Mariners, as it marks a reunion with Haniger. The 33-year-old was a fan favorite during his initial tenure with the club from 2017 to '22. Seattle will likely look for him to return to right field and provide an offensive boost.
Haniger joined the Giants in free agency last year after various injuries limited his availability for the Mariners. The 2018 All-Star recorded a .631 OPS in just 61 games for the Giants due to a broken arm sustained from a pitch. He comes back to his former team with two years and $32.5 million remaining on his deal. Haniger, like Ray, can opt out after the 2024 season.
Seattle has six active starting pitchers on its roster with the addition of DeSclafani, who is in the final year of his contract with $12 million remaining. He had a 4.88 ERA in 19 games (18 starts) for the Giants last season. Making prior stops with the Cincinnati Reds and Milwaukee Brewers, DeSclafani has a 4.20 ERA in 180 career games.
It looks like the Mariners are aiming to make another move as well. The team is reportedly working on a second trade with the Tampa Bay Rays that will involve an exchange of major-league position players and cash, per Ken Rosenthal of The Athletic. The deal, which isn't complete, would send outfielder Luke Raley to the Mariners for infielder José Caballero.
